A BREEDER education and compliance program has been launched to reinforce South Australian dog and cat breeding laws.
The program is set to include a $300,000 grant scheme to fund local projects which educate breeders about their legislative responsibilities.
Councils can apply for grants between $10,000 and $60,000 to fund breeder education and projects.
The Dog and Cat Management Board has also been monitoring online sales of puppies and kittens on platforms such as Facebook and Gumtree.
Sellers placing scam advertisements which do not comply with the Dog and Cat Management Act are set to be reported.
Minister for Climate, Environment and Water Susan Close said the board consulted councils to understand how they monitored breeder compliance last year.
“Councils told the board they mainly responded to reports of advertisements on electronic platforms and they found educating breeders to be effective,” she said.
“As a result of the consultation, the board has developed a number of projects aimed at improving compliance within dog and cat breeding.
“Prospective buyers should always check a breeder is registered in Dogs and Cats Online and it is good to visit the seller in person to see the conditions in which animals are bred.”